In this sermon, the speaker engages in a conversation with a young man about the movie "The Passion of Christ." The speaker tries to engage the young man in a discussion about the content of the movie, but the conversation takes a different turn when the young man reveals he is in a church choir. The speaker then shares that he is a pastor at Times Square Church and prays for the church and its listeners. The sermon concludes with a reference to Nehemiah 1:4 and the message that God will defeat the devil at every turn when He puts a vision in our hearts.

This message is one of the Times Square Church Pulpit Series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing World Challenge, PO Box 260, Lindell, Texas, 75771, or calling 903-963-8626. You are welcome to make additional cassettes of this message for free distribution to friends. However, for all other forms of reproduction or electronic transmission, existing copyright laws apply. Father, we thank you for being with us all day today. I stand tonight with an assurance that I stand in your strength and your grace. Knowing, Lord, that you spoke this word, this doesn't come from books, this doesn't come from anybody else's thought process, but I know that I received this from your heart. And as I began to put that down, Lord, I began to sense your heart. So I step back tonight with the assurance that you're going to be communicating your heart one more time to us this day. Now, Lord Jesus, I ask for a double anointing to rest upon your word. You can anoint me, anoint my speech, Lord, but I pray for an anointing that your word will go forth and, God, it will reach its mark, it will touch the lives intended to touch, and that you will unify us, Lord, for this coming fast. That you will strengthen us and speak clearly to us. I give you this word in Jesus' name. Amen. Turn with me in your Bibles tonight to Acts chapter 21. I've entitled this message tonight, Don't Break My Heart. And it is not a title for a country in western ditty. These are actual words that come from the Scriptures. In fact, it's the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 21, verse 13. Then Paul answered, and he's speaking to those that are gathered round about him, and he answered them, he said, What mean ye to weep and to break my heart? What's this weeping? Why are you trying to dissuade me? Why are you trying to break my heart from that which God has given to me? You see, the issue that Paul is dealing here with those that are gathered round about him is that there is a design here to change his heart from that which God has spoken into his being by the Holy Ghost. And he's received something. And now there is a moment in time where the Apostle Paul and those comrades and those in fellowship with him, and we're going to see who these people are in a little bit, but there is this opportunity here that they want to change his heart from what God has spoken so deeply, so powerfully. And I speak this lovingly tonight that God is and has spoken into our hearts and he's going to continue to do so Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. But beware, as God speaks to us and he speaks vision into our hearts, there's going to be chains that are going to come off. Bondages are going to be broken during this fast. Fear is going to be arrested, pulled up by the roots and cast into the sea. I believe that with everything inside of me. Passivity is going to be broken over lives. Compromise is going to be eradicated. It's going to be exchanged for commitment and determination of the Holy Ghost within us. And the greatest work is God going to be speaking vision into people's hearts and lives. That's the work of the Holy Ghost. You see, part of the work of the Holy Ghost is to come and put vision into our hearts where there is no vision. That's the work that God wants to do and he's going to speak it powerfully. I have no doubt in my heart that this is not a God-called and a God-ordained fast, period. And I know by the Holy Ghost that he's spoken to my heart that there are people in this congregation and those that are going to join us all over the world that God is going to be speaking powerfully into hearts and lives. Lives are going to be forever changed because of this time. I believe it's a crossroads that we're coming to. It's a crossroads in the nation as we see things taking place in this nation. But do not be surprised that when God speaks vision into your heart and into your soul, protect it from being stolen. And don't be surprised by who it is that comes to steal and to dissuade you from what God has placed within your heart by the Holy Ghost. I have such a conviction in my heart that the Holy Ghost is going to be speaking. He's going to go beyond your arguments of your heart and mind. He's going to write into the tables of your heart and soul that which only God can write there. I believe that. But as much as I know that the Holy Ghost is going to do this in each one of our hearts and lives, as much as I know it and stand here with that complete assurance, I also know that the enemy is waiting at the door to try and steal that vision and keep you in complacency. It's going to happen. It happens right here. We're talking about the Apostle Paul. You see, Paul's life was lived by another code. He lived by God and by his power. The Bible tells us in Corinthians that my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of men's wisdom. The Apostle Paul comes and says, I didn't come with fancy words and great oratory that would wow and wow the crowd. He says, that wasn't my conduct or my speech among you. He says, that wasn't my life. That wasn't what it was all about. He says, when I came into your midst, I came in with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. He says, when I came and speak to you, my words to you were that God would come and change people's life by the Holy Ghost. That was the conviction that the Apostle Paul lived in. That was the very thing that burned and motivated in his heart. So when he came into a congregation of people, if it was the Apostle Paul speaking here tonight, he would speak one clear message to this congregation. Your life can be changed by the power of Almighty God. And when you respond to Jesus Christ, then the Holy Ghost does that work and He changes lives. See, that's the code that he lived by. He lived by God and by the power of Almighty God. Paul was moved and motivated to move men and women to trust God. His whole concept of the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ, when he presented it to men and women, wherever he went, was that you would put your trust in a living God who was able to take every demonic stronghold and break it in Jesus' name, set people free, fill you with the Holy Ghost and set you on a course living for Jesus Christ. He never changed his message. All of his life, this was the message that he lived by. That's what moved and motivated him. He believed that God was big enough to protect and keep all those who trusted in Him. He lived and preached something totally opposite to man's wisdom. Today we have a lot of man's wisdom in the world. There's a lot of fine sounding things, but it's devoid of the real power of God that takes a rotten life that is at the bottom of the hill and God says, I can take that person and change them. That's the gospel that the Apostle Paul preached. So here he is and some of his closest friends are now standing. So he's on his way to Jerusalem. He's on his way. He knows what God has birthed into his spirit. He knows what the Holy Ghost has communicated to him. And here we have just before he leaves to go on to Jerusalem, we have here a lot of people who are around about him and saying, Don't go. Don't do this. Don't follow this course. Don't go ahead. And Paul says, What are you trying to do? What's all this weeping for my life? Why are you weeping and crying about my life? He goes on to tell them, he says here, and Paul answers, What meaning to weep and break mine heart? For I am ready not to be bound only. He says, It doesn't matter to me. They can bind me. They can put me in chains. But also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. He says, My life is so sold out to God. It doesn't matter what argument you present to me. My life is sold out to God. And I will not be persuaded differently. See, the enemy is going to come. I know by the Holy Ghost's anointing and witness in my soul that there are men and women here tonight, that God is going to speak something into your spirit. And he's going to prove and try it and test it in your life. But as much as he's going to be doing that, the devil is going to be right there at the door, knocking to see if he can take it away. Don't be surprised then, when it comes from people that you least expect it to come. Did the apostle Paul think that those who loved him so dearly would be the ones who would try to persuade him not to go forward with God? It's a strange dichotomy. These are the people who have been saved by the grace of God. So Paul strongly refuted this misguided compassion. You see, a false sense of compassion can send one back into passivity. It can send you back into that place of complacency. These were good people, but misguided in their sense of understanding. It's not how we protect our lives, but how we prepare our lives for God's purposes. It's not how we can protect them from attacks. It's how, God, can you use me? Paul had many come to him who knew by the Spirit that prison awaited him and bonds. He hears the same message everywhere he goes. Bonds and afflictions await you. But you see, God has spoken something different into his soul. It's wonderful to hear that, oh, thank you that you've said this about my life. Again, you've said this. Well, I understand all these things. But I want you to understand that when I met Jesus Christ, he did something into my heart and life. You see, when God spoke to Paul, God gave him purpose, meaning, productivity, passion. And he would not be dissuaded from that. He wasn't going to allow anybody to dissuade him from the very call that God was putting into his heart and into his soul. So, the apostle Paul would not give in to other people's fears. You see, people around about us also have fears about what we're going to be doing. And Paul says, I'm not going to be persuaded or dissuaded from where I'm going by somebody else's fear. Fear is contagious. You just turn back one page and you see at the riot in Ephesus in chapter 19, verse 32, it says, some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused. So, they all packed into the stadium, and one person was shouting this, someone was this, and they were all confused, and the more part knew not. In other words, the greater multitude of the people that gathered there didn't even know why they would come together. You see, fear is contagious. It's like a mob instinct. When it begins to take its course in people's hearts and lives, it can overtake and begin to affect so many people around about. And so, Paul says, no, if you've got a fear about what is going to take place for me in Jerusalem, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to know what's coming ahead. I don't want to be governed and ruled by a fear that you may have what is going to take place in my life. And so, he says it's contagious, but he's not going to let it affect him. You see, I remember when God had put into our heart to come over to the United States, and we were coming over on one-way tickets with $100 in our pocket, and I can remember so strongly, but God had put a word into our heart. God had so clearly spoken to us. He'd given us times and dates, and He'd shown us that this was the time to go, to move, to go ahead. But the greatest attack or greatest difficulty came by those that were closest to us. We had parents and loved ones and aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters, and they came barraging into our house at different times and spoke to me and said, you're being irresponsible. You're taking three little ones to a country. You don't even know if you've got a job yet. You're being rash. You're being impulsive. You're going to hurt your family. What if things don't work out? What if you run out of money? What if this? What if that? You see, unbelief always begins with, what if? And that's the attack of the devil. When God speaks into your heart, He's going to put life into you. He's going to speak purpose into you. The Holy Ghost is going to start giving you vision that no man can steal. But the devil is going to come right behind that, and he's going to try and knock on that door and say, well, what if this takes place? What if this doesn't happen? What if it doesn't work out? You see, these are the seeds of doubt. And Paul says, no, I'm not going to give in to your fear. I'm not going to allow these things to dissuade me. You see, when Paul got saved, he knew what God had spoken to him. It wasn't anything new. This wasn't a new revelation to him that when these people came speaking these words to him. In Acts chapter 9 it says, For he has chosen Bessalon to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. This is on the day he was converted. One of the three days he was converted. By the end of the three days, Ananias comes and lays hands on him and says, Brother Saul, and he receives his sight. And these are the words to this prophet, to this man that speaks to him. And so Paul, at the very time that he's being converted and changed, and his life is being changed by the power of the Holy Ghost, God is speaking to him. It's in his heart. So this isn't any new revelation. When you take a look in chapter 20, verses 22, it says, And now behold, and this is what they say, these are people that are speaking, they say, Now behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that before me there. This is Paul speaking. Say that the Holy Ghost witnessed in every city, saying that bonds and affliction await me or abide me. But none of these things move me. Neither can I my life dear unto myself that I might finish my course with joy. Beloved, I want you to know something by the Holy Ghost. When he sets you on this course, it doesn't matter what confronts you. When you go through with God, you get to the other side and you keep your joy. Hallelujah. The devil can steal the joy of serving Jesus Christ. He can throw an atomic bomb at you, but you'll come out the other side with great joy, even if it's in the presence of God. Hallelujah. To be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. It doesn't matter what comes. This is what the apostle Paul is saying. When you've got God, you've got everything. Don't let anybody come and dissuade you differently, even though the arguments are going to come so powerfully. So it's here, it's in chapter 21 entire, and then when he gets to Caesarea, again, we see the same words that these things are coming. So Paul is not going to buy into their tears. He's not going to be persuaded by these things. He's unmoved by their tears. People can come and they can weep and tell you there's going to be so many things that are going to come. It's a wife's fear that her husband is going to lose his job. You have a husband here tonight who gets so touched by the power of Almighty God that God births this vision into his soul and God's speaking something so real. His life has been so mediocre. It's been so complacent. His life has not had any kind of a meaning. He's been saved for some time. Then all of a sudden, in a meeting like this and during the prayer and fasting time, God begins to speak purpose and vision into this man's life. And then he goes home and he begins to share this vision. You see, these fears, beloved, are real. These arguments, powerful arguments. The devil will give you such powerful arguments as to talk you out of where you're going. And they are powerful arguments. You'll get home and say, Honey, I got touched by the power of God. We're going to China. China? Do they have private education there? What about our 401K? See, the moment we start stepping out with God and God begins to speak something into our soul, then there's suddenly those who don't have the same vision. There comes a persuasion of something different. You've got to give them time. And I'm going to show that to you tonight. I'm going to show you clearly in the scriptures how God intends for us to walk this out. I believe that he's going to do it by the power of the Holy Ghost. He's going to speak it out. Your lives are never going to be the same again. I can tell you by the power of the Holy Ghost that when you come in touch with God, you come in touch with life, not death. When you touch Jesus Christ, you come into the most powerful life that there is in the universe. He is able to keep you. He's able to hold your hand through every storm. See, the devil will produce such powerful arguments against following. Now, this word here, it says, What meaning to weep and break my heart? Then in verse 14, it says, And when he would not be persuaded. Now, Luke takes this word out, and it's a powerful word that he's using here in the classical Greek. This word persuaded actually comes from a couple of words, but the one is Pitho. It means the goddess of persuasive powers. It was used 900 years BC, 900 years prior to the beginning of the New Testament. This word was in use, and it represented the goddess of persuasive powers. And so Luke is using this. I think in retrospect, he takes a look at the life of the apostle Paul, and he sees at the end of this man's life, that there were these New Testament books that were written in prison, there were kings that were witnessed to, there were governors that were witnessed to, there were miracles that took place, all because this man would not be deterred. We have 13 New Testament books in the New Testament, because this man would not be deterred by any person. What God had spoken into his heart, he knew that God was able to take him through his whole course to the very end, and end with joy in his soul. And so we see this, this is what was taking place. And so this word here, it's an amazing word, to convince, to persuade, to seduce, to corrupt, to persuade successfully, to pacify by argument. You see, the devil would provide such conclusive kinds of arguments, why it can't be done. God speaks, and the devil says it can't be done. God gives a word in your soul, the devil comes along and says, yeah, but your kids won't be able to go to private school if you do this. And this is going to happen, that's going to happen. You see, these arguments, the devil will use powerful arguments to steal God's truth from your heart. You make a commitment in the very second you walk out the door, here comes a powerful argument, well what if I step out in my job, and my boss doesn't like it and says, you're fired. Then what do I tell my family? You tell them God is still in control. But these are the fears, these are the arguments, these are the battles that we go through. You see, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart to tell you that you don't make a light decision, that when you make a decision for God, it comes with the assurance that what God speaks into your soul, He will take you through and perform it. He which hath begun a good work in you shall perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. The argument at the Red Sea, here come the Egyptians coming down the hill, the clouds, the thunder of hooves, the rolling of the wheels of the chariots, the drumbeat of the marching, and they use these kind of things for intimidation. And so here we have these people, these grandmothers, these kids, these aunts, these uncles, these people not trained for war, all standing there and listening to the drumbeat of a military mic from Egypt coming down. And the devil is there with every powerful argument. You're not going to make it. I wish we hadn't left. I wish we hadn't moved. But you see, I want to tell you on the flip side of the coin, that God allows these arguments. I want to show you tonight that God allows these arguments to stir us out of passivity. He allows the argument to come up, because unless there comes an argument in our heart and mind, we will always do nothing. God allows this conflict to arise in our hearts for a specific reason, that He might be glorified. So Moses holds that rod and he says, Stand still and see the salvation of our God. You might have arguments, but God has answers. You might have an attack of the devil, but God has a way out. See, this is what God is speaking. And so He wants us to stand in the power and the might of what He speaks to us. And so God will allow these arguments. When I take a look at Esther 4, in verse 4 it says, Then the queen was exceedingly grieved, because Mordecai had come to the gate, and we heard Sister Teresa speak on this so powerfully, he wasn't supposed to come near the gate and sackcloth and ashes. He shouldn't be there. It's against the law to be there. But you see, this man is moved and motivated by God. God has spoken to him. He will not be deterred. And in Esther 4, verse 4, she sees him. She's mortified. She's mortified. We don't understand the complacency of this woman, where she was at, what was going through her mind. There was a cause. There was going to be casualty among the Jews. And here was the woman. We don't know the kind of complacency she was living in. But God allows this powerful argument to come into her mind. So here is this man standing in sackcloth and ashes. And so she immediately sends cloth to Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him. But the Hebrew is exactly the same word as this word in the Greek, persuaded. It's exactly the same concept. The Bible tells me, but he received it not. He sent a message back and said, I am not going to be persuaded differently. I have come to the kingdom of God for such a time as this, and it doesn't matter what kind of a wardrobe you give me. It doesn't matter what you say to me. I cannot and I will not be deterred what God is speaking in our time and our generation. And if you don't do anything... And so this argument is stirred up. God allows this argument to stir her up out of her passivity, out of her lackadaisical state she was in. Now she's got to go back to her room and battle this thing out. This man won't change. Why won't he change? See, God sometimes allows these arguments to stir us. If you are not stirred in your spirit with an argument, what if this happens or what if this happens, I've got to wait on God and trust in Him, you'll never turn the TV off. As long as you sit in your passivity, you will turn the internet on, you will go back to your television programs, and you'll live case hurrah, hurrah. But God isn't allowing that. He's allowing, as we heard this morning so powerfully by Pastor Carter, the passion to come and to bring a controversy in the nation. It is a controversy. Is it God? Is this movie a God thing? I don't go into those kind of arguments. All I know what is God is that He is speaking to a backslidden nation. He is saying to this backslidden nation, you can either have this or you can have this. This is the choice that you have. It's an argument from God. It's a controversy from the Holy One of Israel. He's bringing this nation into controversy. You make a choice. You make a choice for God. I'm telling you tonight, all power from heaven is going to take you through. Hallelujah. I am passioned with my spirit. I am moved by God to tell you that there is an argument, and it's going to come from God. Oh, the devil might take that argument and steal the truth from you, but I want to tell you God is allowing these arguments to rise in your heart. What if I lose my job? What if this happens? What if God's allowing it? Because He knows nothing else is moving you from your passivity. You're hearing powerful messages and going home and turning that thing on. You're not being moved. So God is saying, I will bring an argument into your spirit and into your soul that will cause you to say, God, what if? And God will always tell you, because I'm God. Hallelujah. I might be excited, but I tell you, this is going to be a fast of all fasts. Turn with me. No clapping. No clapping. Go to Nehemiah. I want to end on Nehemiah tonight. God, you go to Nehemiah. I'm going to show you something tonight. And I tell you, if you don't get excited, beloved, I don't know. I'm closing these books. It's over for those notes. And we're going straight to the Word tonight. Hallelujah. I can tell you, God put something in me. This man, Nehemiah, in chapter 1, in verse 4, And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept. So here is a man who's a servant. He's a nothing. He's at the bottom of the food chain. He's in the king's court. He's a servant. He has to drink the wine that comes and is served to the king first, because if it's poisoned, he dies. He's at the bottom of the food chain. He's an expendable entity. This person is expendable. We can have a whole line of these people, but they will test the wine before the king gets it, so that if it's been poisoned by some person who doesn't like the king, then that person dies. He's expendable. He's a servant. But yet, when he starts to hear what is going on in Jerusalem, this man is stirred. He is stirred and he's spirit. God begins to speak to a nobody, nobody, to a human being that God takes this life and who's nothing, an expendable individual. I can tell you right here tonight that 90% of you in this house believe that you too are expendable and that you're nothing. But I tell you, you are exactly the right candidate for God. You're exactly the right person that God wants to take and use and fill you with the Holy Ghost. You might be wrong for the world, but you're right for God. Hallelujah. So he gets a vision in his soul and his heart, and then when he arrives in Jerusalem, go to chapter 2. I want to show you something. You see, when God births a vision into your heart, sometimes you have to hold that vision close to home. God is going to speak to you. You're foolish just to blurt it out. You're wise to hold what God speaks to you, because God is going to first test the word in you, so that your confidence is in God and not in your strength. We heard that this afternoon so powerfully. And so God is going to speak to this man, but he's going to take him through it, and he's going to walk him through it. So he says in verse 12, he rose in the night, but then look here, halfway through the verse, he says, neither told I any man what God had put into my heart to do in Jerusalem. See, there comes a time when God says, you need to be a partaker of what I've put inside of you. There's going to be lies. There's going to be all kinds of things coming against you. We're going to see that in the Scriptures. But if you hold it close to your heart, and you allow me to be God in your life, I will prove the very thing that I speak into you, I will prove it, and I will be God to you. So we see this man in verse 13, and he says, and he went out, you know I've preached this word here before, and so I'm going to go through quickly, but there's just one word I want to take all the way through and expound it to you. In verse 13 he says, and I went out by night by the gate of the valley. Beloved, when you get a word from God, beware, the very second you embrace a word from God, there's going to be trials. But he's going to take you through the trials. You see, God will give you a word, allow a trial to come, because he's going to take you through, he's going to prove that his word is more powerful than the trials. So he goes to the valley, and he goes through the valley, and then he comes to the dragon well, and so here's this man which is symbolic of every satanic attack. And so he's going to take Nehemiah from this one place, from the valley, in the trials, I'll be God to you. In every satanic attack, I will defeat the enemy at every single turn. See, when God puts a vision into your heart, you've got to understand that God will defeat the devil. He'll defeat him at every single turn. He's already a defeated foe. He just looks for the opportunity that you can see the defeat as well. And then he takes him to the dung port, and so here's Nehemiah at the dung port. That's every vile, unclean thing that's in his life. He's got to come to terms that God's word is more powerful than all the dung that is in my life. Every trial he'll deal with, and every satanic attack he'll deal with, but he'll also deal with all the dung, all the dirt, all the garbage in my life. And when he gets that, he understands, and then he sees the gates broken down. But look at verse 14. There's a simple little word here that comes up, and in the Hebrew, this word, then. Verse 14 begins with this word, then. Then is just a simple word in the Hebrew, but it means a thing that exists. It means to exist. In the English language, it is even stronger. It says, that which has been proved. Now, let me show you what he's saying here. That when God puts a vision into your heart, hold it. Because God's going to make you a partaker. He's going to let the trials come, but he's going to take you through it. And he's going to prove it, that he's stronger than the trials. He's going to take you through every satanic attack and show you, and prove to you, that he's stronger than any word from the devil. And he's going to show you that everything in your life can be defeated and overcome by the power of the Holy Ghost. So then he says, when that's a proven fact, then he says, OK, then I'm going to go on from there to the fountain. Now that fountain is symbolic of, there's enough resources to deal with every hurt and pain and unforgiveness in the heart. Anything that's unforgiveness in our heart, God says, I can deal with it. So, here is Nehemiah. He's being a partaker of the valley, the dragon well, the dung port. And then, when he sees it's an established fact, then God says, OK, let's deal with the hurts, the bruises and everything inside of you. And then brings him to the king's pool. Now the king's pool is significant, because this is now understanding that life gets a purpose. See, when you come to the king's pool and you begin to drink, you begin to understand that God has your life for a reason. You were born for a purpose. You come to the kingdom of God for such a time as this. So, Nehemiah begins to understand that God has given him this purpose and this grace upon his life. Look at verse 15. Here comes this word, then again. Now it's a proven fact that God has given a call and a purpose to my life. Then I went up by night to the brook. And the brook is symbolic of the flowing of the Holy Ghost within us. You see, it's got to be a proven fact that the Holy Ghost flows in us. He says, you shall receive power when the Holy Ghost comes upon you. Out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. Beloved, don't let the devil dam up the river of God within you. The Holy Ghost is going to touch every part of your being. And so, Nehemiah says that he goes to the brook. And then, when he gets to the valley, he's coming out the other side. As a proven fact that God has taken him right to the other side. And God has been exalted in his life. But look at verse 17, 18, 19 and then 20. You see, when God makes you first a partaker, you say yes to Jesus, yes to the vision, yes to this argument that rises up in my heart. God, you're allowing it to stir me up. For what reason? That in the stirring of the Holy Ghost in verse 17, then, underline the word then again, then, because of these things previous have become an established fact, proven by God that his word is more powerful, stronger than anything that you might go. Then I said unto them, you see the distress that we are in and how Jerusalem lies waste. You see, once you allow the Holy Ghost to work in your life and God will prove himself to be God, then you start to suddenly get discernment. You go to the job and you sit down and you're talking to somebody and suddenly you see things you never saw before. You suddenly see the distress that they're in. You never noticed these people before. You were so caught up in the things that you were going through that you forgot that God was interested in that person's life. But then he goes back and now he's able to discern, he sees, he can talk about things of the distress and suddenly he's got vision, he's got discernment, he knows what's going on because it's the Holy Ghost working in and through his life. Look at verse 18. Then I told them that the hand of my God was upon me. So then there comes a purpose. You can say, listen, this is a God moment. When you see people in distress and they're crying, they're weeping, it's because God has given you discernment now that you've got an answer for them. And you come back that God has a reason, God has a purpose for your life. And you can begin to share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. But then look at verses 19 and 20, I just love it. Because every time the devil, when there's a vision in your heart, you can be sure the devil has got his emissaries out there to try and dissuade you, distract you and persuade you differently. But here is a man called Nehemiah, he's tried, he's proved, he's tested that God is faithful in every situation. And then he said to them, then answered, look at verse 20, Sanballat and all these people are those of the demonic strongholds from the pit of hell to try and distract you and dissuade you. But listen to verse 20, then answered I them and said unto them, you see beloved, when God puts a vision in your heart and he gives you that call and there's arguments that rise up, they will rise up, yes they will. Don't let the enemy use those arguments to steal from you. Let God use those arguments to show you that he is God and he is more powerful than anything else under the sun. And he'll bring you through powerfully. And then see when you've got that answer, then he answered them and he says, listen to what he says, you can stand in the face of every attack like the apostle Paul and he answered and he said, the God of heaven will prosper us, therefore we his servants will arise and we will build. But ye will have no portion nor right nor memorial in Jerusalem. Beloved, God gives authority. When you say yes to the Holy Ghost, you've got arguments. I can tell you now, you want to go on with God, but there are arguments all over your heart and mind. I can tell you right now, there's arguments, because there's arguments in my mind. I was riding in a taxi cab just the other day and I was going down to a dentist appointment and I was riding in this cab and the guy spoke relatively good English and so I felt on safe ground that I could kind of communicate the gospel. I've tried communicating with people who don't speak very good English and it just gets messed up. So I just say, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus to them in the cab. But here I am and I'm in this cab and I'm driving down and the Holy Ghost says to me, speak to him. Speak to him about me. Well, is that God or the devil? You see, we have these arguments. And I sat for maybe three or four blocks in heavy traffic with this argument. This argument going on in my mind. Is it God? Is it the devil? Should I? Shouldn't I? What if I make a fool of myself? All these arguments. But then I got to the place and I said, God, see this argument in my mind? God, I don't care about the argument. You will be glorified today and I'm just going to start speaking to this young man. So I just said to him, by the way, are you going to go see this movie by Mel Gibson? See, it's a wonderful talking point. It's now become politically correct to talk about Jesus. Before it was not politically correct. Now everybody's talking about the movies. All the big controversy. So the Christian shouldn't be in the dilemma. Is it God or not God? Forget that argument. Use the situation to glorify God. Use it to speak to somebody's life and just say. So I said to the young man, I said, are you going to go see the movie by Mel Gibson? And there was a silence and he waited and he said, yeah. I said, oh, that's great. So I said to him the next question, because he's not biting too hard. This is a little worm and he's not biting very hard. So I put out, I threw it out again to him. So I said, what do you think of the content? Because, you know, everybody knows it's the passion of Christ. What do you think of the content? So the young man, another half a block goes by. He says, well, actually, I'm in a choir. I said, oh, you are? And he said, I said, well, what church choir are you in? I thought, you know, some kind of weird old church. And I still have to witness the guy. He's probably still lost. And so he told me the church and it's a church just like us that loves Jesus filled with the Holy Ghost. And so I said, well, I'm one of the pastors of Times Square Church. And he says, oh, you are? And so suddenly in this cab, you see, he was thinking we were talking about it afterwards. We had a Holy Ghost revival in this cab. We were talking in tongues, praising God. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. You see, when I said to him, are you going to see the movie? He was praying in his heart. God, how do I witness to this passenger? Oh, God, let him speak. Let him say something. Oh, I want to witness to this passenger. And I'm thinking, God, let him bite some more. I want to witness to this driver. You see, God will take a situation. Your arguments. Oh, God spoke to me. This was on Monday. All that God was speaking to my heart is that these arguments, they are nothing to God. They come to nothing. Beloved, the Bible says, and I'm closing on this verse of Scripture from the Living Bible. I have to go back to my notes. But I have a Scripture here that I want to read to you. Listen to this from the Living Bible. It says, you know, in 2 Corinthians 10 verses 4 and 5, Powerful and mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. But listen to the Living Bible. I like what the Living Bible says this. I use God's mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down the devil's strongholds. With these weapons, you can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that is built to keep men from finding Him. With these weapons, I can capture rebels and bring them back to God and change them into men whose heart's desire is obedience to Christ. You see, beloved, God wants us to pull down the arguments. My altar call tonight is simple, very simple. You've got an argument. It's God speaking to you. Tonight, He's going to bring it down and He's going to show Himself real on your behalf. He is going to fill you with such power and desire. This is a journey that we are on with God. This is a commissioning for the fast. I felt all week that this meeting tonight was a commissioning you to this fast, that God is going to be commissioning us on a journey where we'll never be the same again. It's going to be change lives from this week onwards, beloved, and from all today and tonight, we commission you. If you want to be a part of this journey tonight, get up in the annex. You get up right now. Don't even wait for us to pray. You get up right now. You start making on the balcony. You want to be a part of this journey and say, God, count me in. I'm going to be pulling down strongholds and let God be glorified in my life. Then this altar is open to you. In the choir, you've got arguments. Then give them to God tonight and say, God, this is it. I'm laying the arguments down on husbands, spouses, children, jobs, money, everything else. I'm giving it to God and I am going forward with God. Let's stand together and you make your way to this altar tonight. We are going to commission you to a God-called fast of victory and power and calling in Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost is saying, there's people in a battle tonight. There's arguments of the soul. Give it to God. Let God win the battle tonight. You don't have to fight this thing a moment longer. You don't have to fight fears of the future. Let God win the battle tonight for you. Give it to Him. Take that step and say, God, it might be full at this altar, but I'm squeezing into the side. I'm going to do it, God. I'm not going to let the enemy have the victory. God is going to be commissioning my life. Let's sing it, Warren, one more time. If you've got to squeeze to the side and just raise your hand, just do it, because this is God. He's going to be pulling down these strongholds. You know the battle is going to come, but He's going to give you that victory. Again, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom. You're not here because of some enticing word, but you're here because the Holy Ghost has called you to come to this altar tonight and to be in the house tonight. And it's going to be the Holy Ghost and His power that's going to change your life, so that when you leave here tonight, your faith will not rest in our wisdom, but it's going to rest in the power of God. You will be men and women leaving with a total knowledge of God that your walk out of here, your whole life is resting in the power of Almighty God. It's not our wisdom, folks. It'll never get us anything. But God's power, it'll change your life. Hallelujah. So, I join you tonight. Raise your hands and say this after. Pray this with me. Lord Jesus, I commit my heart to this journey with You. And You allow these arguments to rise up in my heart, to confront me in areas where I do not trust You. I recognize this, that every argument that comes up, You are allowing it to confront my area of my life where I am complacent. I'm not going to let the devil have the victory and persuade me away from God. Tonight, I give You my arguments. Lord, I take them wholeheartedly and I cast them at the foot of the cross. I'm tired of struggling with one argument after another. Tonight, Lord Jesus, You win the battle. I give You the argument and I take You as King of kings, Lord of lords. And You will make a way where there is no way. You will part the Red Sea when I can't get across. My God, tonight, I take You as my God over all arguments and all of my life. My family, my job, my future, I give it to You. It's Yours. I'm in Your hand. Guide me, protect me, keep me, send me, commission me. Tonight, by the Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost, come and fill me with power from on high. In Jesus' name, I receive it and I leave tonight knowing that my life is changed by the power of God. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Lord Jesus, I felt that this was a commissioning for the fast. Now, Lord, I send Times Square Church and for all those who listen to the tape, that they are commissioned by God. Lord, to take this fast as You meeting them, speaking to them, challenging, giving vision, giving hope, giving salvation, giving purpose, giving meaning. Lord, we are expectant that You are going to give to us our heart's desire, which is Jesus, in greater measure and in a fullness like we've never known before. Lord, this fast is a sell-out to You, to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and we thank You. Now, bless Your people, protect them from all harm, give them a word of authority in their mouth. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen. This is the conclusion of the message.